no me gusta
/no me ɡusta/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'I dislike' is expressed as no me gusta.
The phrase no me gusta is used to communicate that you do not like something or someone.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase translates to 'it does not please me'.
Which one should you use?
The verb must change to the plural form gustan if the thing being disliked is plural.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are expressing a dislike for an action, place the infinitive form of the verb immediately after no me gusta.
How do you pronounce it?
/no me ɡusta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying yo no me gusta. While English speakers often want to use the subject pronoun 'yo' (I), the grammatical subject in Spanish is actually the thing being disliked, not the person.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, people avoid saying no me gusta directly to be more polite and instead say no me convence, which means 'it does not convince me'.
- The word me in this phrase is a leftover from the Latin accusative form of 'ego', even though it functions as an indirect object in modern Spanish.
- Because the thing being disliked is the grammatical subject, you can omit the word 'it' or the noun entirely and simply say no me gusta if the context is clear.
Examples in context
- No me gusta estar solo.I dislike being alone.This sentence shows how to use no me gusta with an action.Tatoeba #989555 by hayastan, translation #27616 by CK
- Por eso no me gustan los gatos.This is why I dislike cats.Tatoeba #730637 by Shishir, translation #62320 by CK
- No me gustan las grandes ciudades.I dislike big cities.Tatoeba #982943 by Shishir, translation #275861 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- AlejandroA mí no me gusta el pescado.I do not like fish.
- MaríaA mí sí me gusta mucho.I like it a lot.
- Alejandro¿Entonces prefieres la pasta?So do you prefer pasta?
- MaríaSí, por favor.Yes, please.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, no, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
